1. Field of the Invention
The original prior application invention, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,016,942, is a rotatable wrist mounted tray with side walls designed for holding sets of learning aid cards for ice skating dances. The 09/388,407 continuation-in-part application is for a partial variation of the prior design. The 09/388,407 variation receptacle is a rotatable wrist mounted platform without side walls, rather than a tray receptacle with side walls as in the prior application. The primary field of use for the rotatable wrist mount platform is for user simple mounting on the platform any of most of the various hand hold size electronic devices such as small visual display screen computers. This CIP-2 application is a continuation-in-part of the prior applications for the tray holder and for the platform holder. This application is for an improvement in the wrist mount part of the receptacles, which improvement enables more economical assembly of the mount to the holders and results in improved holders.
2. List of Related Art cited
______________________________________ U.S. PATENT DOCUMENTS ______________________________________ 1,407,239 2/1922 Weiss 224/219 5,810,220 9/1998 Peterson 224/222 2,099,295 11/1937 Canfield 224/255 3,550.824 12/1970 Bohanski 224/219 4,903,932 2/1990 Stewart, Jr. 224/267 5,386,933 2/1995 Greene et al. 224/219 5,531,481 7/1996 Wiltshire 224/219 5,810,220 9/1998 Peterson 224/222 FOREIGN PATENT DOCUMENTS ______________________________________ 70,777 2/1916 Switzerland Maisch 224/219 ______________________________________
3. Description of the Related Art
The reference documents are related to the application of this invention in that several pertain to a device for holding something on a wrist. Differences from the subject invention which are common to each of the references is that none of them in their specific styles or size proportions are usable for mounting the current or anticipated future variety of hand hold size small electronic devices, or of holding the cards for which the tray holder is designed.
The foreign patent of 1916 by Maisch of Switzerland is for a leather wrist mount sketch and note pad holder with pencils. Had the designer intended to display individual printed graphics or electronic devices had they then existed, he could have if he would have sized such displays to fit his holder. However his holder concept would not accept the size of graphics or electronic devices that the subject invention is designed for, and his holder does not provide for rotatable viewing orientation.
The U.S. 1922 patent by Weiss is for a wrist mount holder for paper or erasable reusable surface note pad with pencil, and an openable windowed protective cover for writing through the windows. The concept did not contemplate holding otherwise printed graphics or electronic devices as provided for by the subject invention device.
The U.S. 1937 patent by Canfield is for a wrist mount holder for miniature paper note pads from which used sheets can be removed. The concept did not contemplate holding otherwise printed graphics or electronic devices as provided for by the subject invention device.
The U.S. 1970 patent by Bohanski is for a wrist mount rotatable holder for flashlights. The wrist mount purpose is similar to the hands freeing function of the subject invention device. And the rotatable purpose is similar to the direction orienting function of the subject invention device, except that Bohanski's rotation is held in increments of orientation by a circle of spaced mechanical bumps on its mount plate, whereas the rotation of the subject invention device is infinite as to position setting. The rotatable position hold function of the subject invention is considered to be an improvement over Bohanski's concept and that of other rivet and nut/bolt types of rotation fastenings of holders to wrist mounts, for the following reasons. The invention device any position holding functions through the close mating and surface friction between six relatively large diameter disk surfaces that are part of the wrist mount to holder assembly, as will be further explained below and through the drawings. Also the large diameters of the disks and their large diameter joining stem provide strong fastening strength, with parts that do not tear out of plastic surfaces with use such as normal diameter metal rotational fasteners can.
The U.S. 1976 patent by Winter is for a prosthetic device for handicapped persons. That the holder rotates is a principal feature of the device. Similar to the disks braking function of the subject invention, two disks with a plurality of mechanical stop positions lock against each other to maintain position. The holder intended for hand implements such as a toothbrush and eating tools of a handicapped person whose hands cannot hold the items, would not be able to hold the graphic cards or an electronic device that the subject invention is designed for.
The U.S. 1988 patent by Booker is for a transparent plastic enclosure for devices such as calculators, that can be mounted on a wrist but cannot be rotated on the wrist. Operation of a calculator on a wrist can be by pressing the device keys through the plastic. Protection of the device is a primary function of the enclosure. This invention could accomodate the size of many of today's electronic devices, but most of the devices are designed for open face use and would not work well through a plastic enclosure. The design of the subject invention platform version rotatable holder is capable of mounting the variety of current and anticipated future hand hold size electronic devices.
The U.S. 1990 patent by Stewart is for a thigh mounted holder for such as relatively large writing tablet clip boards used while seated. That the tablet holder rotates is a principal feature of the device. Eight optional position direction positions are available. The position locking device and the mount to holder fastening are strong, related to the large clip board and the strength of a leg thigh. The mechanisms are too strong and too elaborate relative to the simple light weight parts of the subject invention platform holder for use on wrists.
The U.S. 1994 patent by Lum is for a handsfree forearm strap for portable electronic equipment. The strap provides one side of a hook and loop mating system for mounting various equipment. Rotation is not possible. The subject invention platform version holder provides rotation and greater flexibility for mounting devices.
The U.S. 1995 patent by Greene is for mounting protectively transparent laminated ski run area maps on wrists. The laminated sandwich has cuts in the back sheet which accept wrist mounting straps. The sandwich flex curves over the wrist and its clothing. Similar to what professional football quarterbacks and coaches are presently using for play referencing. Other graphics could be individually handled with such a concept, but not equivalent to the subject invention holder with its flat graphics feature, capability for mounting small electronic devices, and rotatable features.
The U.S. 1996 patent by Wiltshire is for a small in area but relatively high miniature wrist mount memo pad device with pencil. The height of the device relates to its having a stack of miniature file drawers for storing miniature writing paper and written memos. There are several additional elaborate features on this device, but none that would reasonably relate to the rotatable platform for mounting graphic displays and hand hold size electronic devices features of the subject invention holder.
The U.S. 1998 patent by Petersen is for a small portable sorting tray for mail workers. The tray mounts on the underside of a forearm above the wrist and is rotatable. The tray mounted on the underside of the forearm permits the hand on that arm to participate in holding letter envelope sorting. A metal bolt with washers fastens the tray to the arm mount and brake holds rotation through its providing compression between mating surfaces. This fastener/position holding method is mechanically natural and is similar to that used for early versions of the subject invention holder. The present design for the rotation and fastening of the subject holder is a significant improvement, as outlined under patent by Bohanski above.
The U.S. 1999 patent by Phillips is for a carrier assembly for a wireless communication device that can be mounted on a belt or other article of clothing. There is a rotation feature with a plurality of position options. The carrier is a set size and shape related to some mobile phones. The carrier would be too heavy and bulky for wrist mounting, and too limited for device options compared to the platform version rotatable wrist mount holder of the subject invention.
The above reference documents are indirectly related to the application of this invention in that several pertain to a device for holding something on a wrist. None of their designs are capable of mounting electronic devices or of displaying the graphics for which this holder is sized. The invention's open platform capable of mounting the variety of current and anticipated future hand hold size electronic devices, and the tray capable of holding sets of graphics for numerous subjects, including the skater learning aid cards designed for the tray holder, the holder's rotate mechanism, and its thin light weight plastic section including the platform which can be shears trimmed by a user to suit a particular electronic device, are improvements over the indirect references.
The U.S. 2000 patent by Allen is for a special receptacle which mounts on a user's wrist for holding and displaying visual aids as used by ice skaters. The patented device which is a rotatable wrist mounted tray with side walls designed for holding sets of learning aid cards for ice skating dances, is a directly related prior application. A related new application is a continuation-in-part of the prior application. The continuation-in-part application is for a partial variation of the prior design. The variation receptacle is a rotatable wrist mounted platform without side walls, for holding hand hold size electronic devices, rather than a tray receptacle with side walls for holding sets of visual aids as in the prior application. The platform application can also be used to hold one at a time the learning aid cards that the tray application is designed to hold as a set.
The prior invention's open platform capable of mounting the variety of current and anticipated future hand hold size electronic devices, and capable of mounting individual graphics for any variety of subjects including the skater learning aid cards designed for the cross referenced tray holder, the platform holder's rotate mechanism, and its thin light weight plastic section including the platform which can be shears trimmed by a user to suit a particular electronic device, are, for holding electronic devices, improvements over the indirect references and the direct reference prior application.
The present invention is a continuation-in-part of both the Allen tray application and the Allen platform application. The present invention improves the rotatable mount for both a tray holder and a platform holder. The improvement enables more economical assembly of the mount to the holders. Savings come from being able to use a wider selection of plastics than those that are restricted regarding chemical bonding or welding, not needing special equipment for bonding or welding, not having to meet safety and environmental regulations special to chemical byproducts of bonding and welding, less loss of parts to imperfections of bonding or welding, and no special labor skills as required by bonding or welding.
The present invention also improves the rotation/braking mechanism of the mount in that an additional, a sixth, frictional disk surface is provided by enclosing the rotation assembly between the holder and the wrist strap plate. This also provides an unbroken holder face.